The War Was Over
by bliss22
Summary: Summer after Voldemort's demise is an interesting one indeed. Autumn arrives, turning over a new leaf at Hogwart's school. Winter comes, harsh and bitter, cold hands grasping for purchase. Spring brings the unknown. You're going to want to see this through.
1. Prologue

The war was over.

Prologue

The battle had concluded within the first hours of daybreak, the sun illuminating the dead strewn grounds. The spell holding her and everyone else still and silent had broken as Tom Riddle fell into a heap on the stone floor. Hermione was first to break from the crowd, running desperately towards Harry. She had reached him. He sat on the ground breathing heavily, tears cutting through the dirt covering his face.

"Harry." Her knees, already cut and bloody, slammed into the ground beside him. She didn't notice the pain, fighting the urge to wrap her arms around her friend and sob. Not wanting to startle her friend.

He turned towards her, and muttered so low only she could hear, "It's over Hermione. He's dead."

"Oh, Harry," she reached out this time, wrapping her arms around him ignoring the jabs of pain throughout her body. They wailed together, Ron joining moments later, long arms surrounding them both.

No one interrupted the feral cries coming from the trio, the events of the last year and the last hour sweeping over them. Waves of pain followed by jubilation that it was over. It was all over.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Two Weeks Later

Hermione had woken shortly after sunrise at the Burrow. Today was the day she would leave, making the journey to Australia in order to remove the memory modifications she had placed upon her parents last summer. She sat up, glancing over at the still sleeping Ginny, and quietly exited the room.

The Burrow was silent, its occupants deservingly sleeping in. She grabbed herself a cup of tea before heading outside, taking a seat on a bench in the yard that overlooked the garden. Hermione had made a habit of this routine since returning here. She sipped at her tea until the sun had more than fully rose up in the pale blue sky. It was as she was walking back that the bushes beside the garden path had whispered her name. "Hermione…"

Hermione turned, pointing her wand instinctually towards the voice, "Who's there?"

"It's only me," Harry Potter had stepped out of the shadows.

"Merlin, Harry," she put her wand away, "You of all people should know not to sneak up on people."

"Yeah, sorry," he thrust his hands in his pockets, clearly distracted from the fact that she almost cursed the pants off of him.

"You alright Harry?" She prodded, reading his mood, knowing something was on his mind.

He looked up, sorrowful all of the sudden and asked, "You're leaving for Australia today, right?"

"Yes…" She answered, misinterpreting his saddened look, "I can wait a couple more days."

"No, no, no" He quickly interrupted, "I want to come with you. Well, at least until you get to Australia, then I would go my own way. But you cannot tell anyone until after I am gone, otherwise they'd never let me go, you see?"

The words bounced right off of her, absolutely zero meaning taken in. Hermione repeated his hasty explanation in her head, shaking her head at phrases like 'go my own way.' She looked over at her friend, realization dawning over her.

"You want to leave," she said slowly, "but you don't want anyone to know you're going." Her brow furrowed, "Except me of course, you want me to lie- to Ron, to Ginny, to MRS. WEASLEY." Her voice became loud, anger washing over her like an acid cloud.

"Yes." Harry sighed, "I have to go Hermione, you don't understand."

She snapped, "Yes, Harry, I do understand. What I don't understand is why you feel the need to lie to every single person that loves you, and forcing me to partake in it!"

Every cell inside of Hermione Granger was revolting against her, willing for her to not participate in this blatant lie. However, she agreed to tell the Weasley's that Harry was to accompany her to Australia, where they would be spending the summer, and would return to Hogwart's September the First to finish their education. They agreed, after two weeks spent at her parent's new beachside bungalow, that he would disappear, leaving behind nothing but a note.

There in, Hermione would send a copy of Harry's letter, and a frantic explanation to Ron and the rest of the Weasleys. By then, it would be too late for he would be somewhere deeply hidden in America. He had confided the broad location, though she had to promise she would not share that information with anyone else.

After several minutes of arguing, he had finally agreed to send her an occasional update via Muggle electronic mail. So it was settled, Harry would spread his cock and bull story about joining Hermione throughout the day and the pair of them would leave shortly after dinner.

She and Ron had taken a walk to Fred's grave that afternoon, where they held each other, neither moving nor saying a word. It was without saying that Ronald was having a tough time since Fred had died. Truthfully they both were, and so that is the reason they had walked silently back to the burrow, neither acknowledging the kiss they had shared weeks ago.

Dinner was a reminiscent affair, the group had talked of fond memories of the lost, Fred coming up most often though never stories shared by George, until the sun had set over the horizon. "The food was magnificent," Hermione hugged Mrs. Weasley for the last time before departing.

"Thank you, my dear." She replied, squeezing the younger woman.

"Take care of yourself- and Harry too." She added, releasing Hermione.

She and Ron embraced quickly, knowingly having said their goodbyes earlier. Hermione would miss him, she was sure, but she realized she was grateful for their time apart also. They both needed it.

The rest of the Weasley's and other guests, including Luna Lovegood, had embraced her in turn, wishing her safe travels back to her parents. Ginny stood alone, the last of the redheads having scattered among the yard, last to say goodbye.

"Good luck," Ginny whispered into her ear as they hugged; the wind of the cool evening sending shivers throughout her. She had shorts on despite the chilly evening, for it would certainly be hot when they had arrived in Australia.

"Thanks," she chuckled nervously pulling away, both girls oblivious to one another's suddenly racing heart beats.

Harry came up beside her out of nowhere it seemed, causing Hermione to jump slightly. "You ready?" He asked.

"Sure." Hermione replied, taking one last look at the Burrow and the mostly red headed crowd gathered, waving at the pair of them. They waved back, Hermione grabbing tightly unto Harry's free arm and turning on the spot.

It had taken both of them minutes to adjust to the sun's blistering light. Only midmorning, they had apparated somewhere in Australia. Harry took off his jacket as they walked uphill, a layer of sticky sweat already covering them both. After only two blocks Hermione slowed next to a sleek, black BMW.

Harry's mouth went agape as he watched his very best friend, his good and honest friend, tap her wand against the handle.

She pulled the door open, to which he shouted, "Hermione, I know I told you I didn't want to know the finer details of the plan, but I didn't know they included grand theft auto!"

Hermione made a sort of exasperated noise and shut the car door. She rolled down the window a bit, he was unable to see through the dark tint, "Harry relax- the car is mine."

He mumbled, "well that changes things then," as he opened the car door and got inside. The interior was sleek, black leather cold from the running air conditioning. "Where'd you get the car?"

"I prepared it before I had left, working with the Australian Ministry to get the proper licenses to modify it." She said matter of fact.

"Well okay then." Harry said, poking at the touch screen computer in the center console.

They drove for nearly half an hour before turning down a hidden drive, through a thick expanse of trees. They emerged suddenly, the sun shining bright, the ocean in full view. Hermione parked the car in front a lone beach house. Harry followed her as she hastened up the footpath leading to the house. "What's your plan?"

"Didn't have one," she answered as she unlocked the door with her wand. Between the unpredictability of her parent's decision making and the grave realization that she very well may not come back from the war, she hadn't created a return plan.

Hermione dashed into the living room, where fortunately her parents sat next to one another on the sofa. She had made easy work of remodifying their memories. They were ecstatic to remember again and were as equally impressed with their new home.

Several hours and a dozen cups of tea later, Hermione, with the help of Harry, had explained the events that occurred over the last year. At some points, both she and Harry bent the truth. She had skipped over her perspective at Malfoy Manor entirely, allowing Harry to take over from his point of view. When they had finally concluded, her father brushed tears from his eyes and grasped both her and her mother's hand. He inhaled sharply, "So what now?"

Hermione hadn't exactly prepared for that exact question, so she replied slowly, "So… I guess whatever you all would like."

"We could stay here then?" Her father asked, her mother nodding in agreement. "Only, and only if you'd like," her father hastened, "we want to be wherever you are."

She had assumed they would go back to London and resume their normal lives. Hermione hadn't considered an alternative, but her mother interrupted her contemplation suddenly exclaiming, "But what about the office, Hermione?"

"Oh," Hermione laughed, "I hired a manager, the Muggle husband of a member in the Order. I have overseen finances remotely, periodically to ensure everything remained on track."

"Hermione," her father said slowly, gears turning, "how could you afford all this?" He gestured around at vast living room, the beach visible from the wall sized window.

"Well, Dad," she said, confident, expecting this question all afternoon, "I am going to have to resort to a quote spoken by Fred Weasley."

They all looked at her, absolutely bewildered expressions on their faces, as she spoke, "He once said to me, 'Ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies.'"

Later on while Hermione conjured another bed for Harry, she smiled at the memory of her mother's bemused expression after she implied that she and Harry would be sharing sleeping quarters. This made them both crimson red immediately, interrupting one another explaining that Harry was only joining them temporarily.

"So how did you get the money?" Harry probed as he made his bed.

Hermione laughed, "Stole it, but I'll never tell you who from."

"You didn't!" Harry nearly shouted.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You're right, I didn't." She pulled out a long gold necklace from under a shirt in her dresser.

"Ahhh, a time turner," Harry breathed, "So all except for one broke in our fifth year at the ministry?"

"Maybe…" she said, drawing out the word. "Don't tell anyone, especially not Ronald." She made him promise.

"Fine, fine," he put his glasses on the bedside table while she dimmed the lamps, "Night 'mione."

"Night Harry," she added hastily, "Love you."

"Love you too 'mione," he said into his pillow so the sentence came out squashed, almost unintelligible.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Ginny Weasley was not having a good morning. First off she had woken hours before dawn sweating, with a splitting headache. She had had a nightmare every single night since returning from Hogwarts. Sometimes they included memories from that day in May, the earth shaking, running around the castle, slipping in her friends' blood. Mostly however, there were memories of Fred. They reminded Ginny of a lesson during her third year at Hogwarts.

The youngest Weasley had opted for Muggle Studies, though she'll admit the decision was mostly for her father. His return owl was so pleased- he had even sent her chocolate frogs.

The professor had dragged in a large metal box and had fiddled with a sort of muggle wand, except for shorter and wider, which she later found out was called a 'remote'. Her thoughts had wandered to the outside, where the sun was gleaming through the window with an attractive breeze attached. She had been practicing Quidditch in secret and was eager to get back to practicing.

The metal box suddenly emitted a glow upon the classroom. There on the screen was a scene of Muggle cowboys standing outside an ole timey western pub. The image was black and white with lines of distortion that flashed for split seconds before disappearing. When the men spoke it was with heavy American accents, almost intelligible through the microphone feedback. Her professor was sure to note that the technology of the Muggle film industry had since improved tenfold.

Those memories that replayed during her dreams were like a Muggle film, as though she were viewing them on a screen as an audience instead of having been there in person. This night she had watched as Fred and George had taught her how to swim. How Fred had shoved Ron under the water after he had splashed her face, but still the memory lacking the depth and clarity compared to being immersed into a pensieve.

Ginny shuffled tiredly out of bed, making her way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Clutching the warm mug in her hands, she slid her feet into slippers and stepped outside into the dark morning. She made her way through the yard, winding her way through the garden stones, making no fuss of the gnomes scuttling around.

By the time she had reached the apple orchard in which she had spent her last normal summer playing quidditch with her brothers along with Harry and Hermione, her coffee was gone. Ginny had preferred coffee to tea ever since Hermione had showed her how to make a proper cup. Though these days she preferred it black, appreciating how the strong beverage made her feel her bones buzz with energy.

"Accio broom," her voice boomed in the silent darkness. A second later, the shed burst open, a broomstick jetting out heading straight towards her. It hovered in midair next to her, waiting for her to set her mug on the moist grass and climb on.

After she did so, Ginny took off into the air, going as high as the cold air allowed. Her broom wasn't nearly as nice as Harry's though it fulfilled its purpose just fine. Her stomach did flips as she raced back towards the ground, pulling out of her dive far sooner than she would have liked, but her broom was already shaking with instability.

Her red hair whipped around behind her as she zoomed about the orchard, only stopping twenty feet up when the sun finally broke the horizon. Dawn was a special time for her, the golden light bounced off of her surroundings, giving everything a gold hue that reminded her so much of Fred.

Though she tried not to think about the fact that Harry had left with Hermione yesterday, the subtle stabs finally broke her conscious as she sat in the kitchen, helping herself to another cup of coffee.

He had been sitting on her bed yesterday, waiting for her to come back from flying. His face looked ghostly in the bright light of the morning, as if Harry were in physical pain. Ginny did not need to be a Seer to know what was coming. She sat silent while he explained why he wanted to leave, how he couldn't let anyone know he was going, and that he just wanted to be gone. Her mouth had fallen open when she was asked to lie to her mother, but she closed it quickly allowing Harry to finish, "they'd never let me go, but I couldn't live with myself if I just left you without so much as an explanation."

Ginny nodded slowly, realizing almost comically, that the only negative feeling she felt at the moment was jealously. She would absolutely love to drop off the face of the Earth at the moment. With a prang in her chest, she had remembered that she had a lot more left to lose than Harry did. He had lost so much, and had finally gained the freedom to live without looking over his shoulder. Ginny didn't blame him for wanting to go one bit.

Someone had walked into the kitchen then, put the kettle on, and nearly jumped when noticing her curled up in a chair.

"Merlin's beard Ginny! You nearly gave me a heart attack." Charlie laughed deeply, thick shoulders moving quickly up and down as he guffawed.

"Well if you wake Mum up, it'll be both our necks," Ginny chucked a pillow at him.

He brought a finger to his lips, shushing her as he walked across the kitchen then asking, "What are you doing up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep," she said automatically, choosing not to elaborate. Ginny opted to change the subject, "What are you doing today?"

"Why?" He eyed her suspiciously. It was a common rule among the Weasleys to always know the full conditions before agreeing to anything, mostly because of Fred and George.

"Oh please, I only need to go to Diagon Alley." It had irritated her beyond belief that she had fought in the battle that preceded Voldemort's final death, and yet she had to wait until the coming August to perform magic at home.

"Can't today sis, but tell you what," Ginny had stomped her foot immediately, "I can take you tomorrow."

"Deal," Ginny said, hopping up to shake his thick hand and make it official.

Much to her dismay, she woke for the second time that day only a couple hours later. Footsteps absolutely thundered up the stairs, ending at her door which burst open a moment later. Ron ran inside, pulling open her window hangings as he shouted, "Wake up!"

"Where's the fire?" She said groggily, only too exhausted to be furious at his stampeding.

"You've got an owl downstairs; he won't let anyone take it except the receiver. He's getting impatient." He led her from the room, and she could hear an owl hooting madly several floors below.

The massive owl, black and official looking, carried a thick scroll. Looking around, she was taken aback to see her mother, father, Charlie and Ron all beaming at her excitedly. The owl stuck his foot out, and she expertly removed the scroll from his foot. He flapped his wings, shooting out of the kitchen window in an instant. Ginny had ripped the scroll in her haste to open it, but regardless she held the two pieces out in front of her, reading the fancy, looping script.

Dear Mrs. Ginevra Molly Weasley,

Enclosed is a statement of all funds owed to the named above to be transferred to the Gringott account of the same name.

Reward for the capture of several Death Eaters in the Ministry of Magic

Reward for participation in the Battle of Hogwarts

A portion of a lump sum distributed to the family of the named deceased, Fred Weasley.

In a special circumstance, Harry Potter has declined the reward of the Death of the named, Lord Voldemort, and has opted for the sum to be distributed among the people he has chosen.

The sum of the above will be in your account at the time you receive this letter.

The amount totaled at the bottom of the letter had to have been more gold than her parents have ever had, she was sure. Ginny stammered, her eyes whipping around to her family, making certain that this was not a joke. She had only said one thing, "Charlie? You're sure you can take me to Diagon Ally tomorrow, yeah?"


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Across the globe several days later, Hermione had read a very similar letter though her bigger role in Voldemort's demise had resulted in a far bigger total. She squealed, jumping up and down nearly tackling Harry when she had seen him.

They climbed in her car after eating breakfast, seeking out a few more things for Harry's trip to America. Hermione had magically expanded his plane luggage. He had never been to the United States before, so therefore he would be enduring the 13 hour Muggle plane ride. He and Hermione had bickered back and forth for several minutes about the necessity of bringing his broomstick on the plane. Harry had argued animatedly on the likely chance the plane was to explode, that he would simply fly away.

" Or you could disapparate." She said sternly, accelerating at the green light in front of them.

"Regardless," Harry tapped at the touch screen, changing the station to one that played a catchy Muggle pop song.

They pulled into an outdoor sports store, with everything from backpacks to kayaks. Harry browsed, listening to the pros and cons of each piece of equipment, but mostly decided by which one he liked the look of the best. The pair had left a short time later, far before Hermione had time to get irritated with his decision making.

When she had arrived home, there was an owl waiting for her. Hermione unraveled the parchment and sat in a chair as she read.

Hermione,

I have GOT to get out of here. Mum's been an absolute nightmare since I got my letter from the Ministry (I'm sure you've received the same by now.) She keeps shouting at me to save my money, that I'm going to blow it all and end up with nothing. All I did was buy myself a Firebolt and a new wardrobe. Honestly, I can't take it anymore. Charlie went back to Romania and Ronald stays in his room all day. That leaves me with her for company seeing as Dad's at work all day. She thinks that just because cleaning is healing to her that it is to everyone. I swear she has shouted at me to degnome at least three times today.

In case he hasn't told you, I already know Harry is due to leave any day now. Please please please send a return owl to let me know if I can buy a muggle plane ticket (and explanation on how to do such a thing). I can hold out until Harry leaves if that's easier for him, I honestly don't mind.

I really need some sun and some space.

Miss you,

Ginny

Hermione ran to the bathroom, where Harry was humming to himself in the shower. Without knocking, she burst in the room, "Ginny needs to come stay. She wants to know when you're leaving or if you care if she's here when you do leave."

Harry wiped the water off his face, astounded at Hermione's intrusiveness. "A couple more days, I reckon."

"So I'll apparate her here in a few days then."

"Yeah, I'd make sure she cleared it with Mrs. Weasley though, you know how she can be… And Ginny is still underage after all." He peered around the shower curtain, "Can I shower in peace now?"

"Yeah, of course," Hermione laughed as she exited, a cloud of steam following her out of the door.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Ginny had received Hermione's answer two days later. Of course she had said she could come stay with her in Australia, if and only if she had cleared it with her mother first.

It had been far easier than Ginny had expected. Turns out her mother wasn't ignorant to the ever growing tension at the Burrow. She had agreed to allow Ginny to stay until the last week of July, as long as it was okay with Hermione and her parents. Her mother also had an aversion to Apparating, insisting that Ginny resort to Muggle transport to Australia. She also required the Granger's absolute promise that she and Harry would be supervised at all times.

Little did her mother know however, they had planned for Hermione's owl carrying a frantic explanation of Harry's departure to arrive at the Burrow precisely while Ginny was flying somewhere over Europe. This would prevent Ginny from having to feign disappointment to her mother.

Charlie had insisted on accompanying her to the airport, he had flown many times before, not always preferring magical means of transport. They made their way through the crowded airport before stopping at security.

"This is the end of the road for me," Charlie said. "I made sure your flight was one way, so after security, find your way to your gate and you'll be all set from there."

Ginny nodded, too nervous to speak.

"You're going to have a great time, there are many beautiful things waiting for you in Australia," He handed her her passport and boarding pass, ushering her towards the security line.

As the plane was taking off, Ginny swore to herself that she would never do this again, pledging to get her Apparating license as soon as possible. Once in the air, she had become a little more comfortable, putting her head back on her first class seat and opting to sleep instead of the in flight Muggle movie.

The anxiety filled excitement must have taken a toll on her, for when she had awoken, the flight had been nearly over. The entire cabin applauded upon landing, which at first, had scared the mickey out of her.

Ginny walked as fast as possible from the gate, ball cap pulled low over her tired eyes. Even being forewarned of time change, she had not quite expected it to feel this drastic. She swore she would fall to the floor and sleep if she had not continued to move in a direction.

She emerged from the airport, the hot air hitting her with full force, taking her breath away. The sun shined, instantly warming her pink skin. Ginny walked along the sidewalk that ran parallel to the building until she heard a sharp whistle behind her. She wiped her head around, her ponytail swinging with her.

Hermione stood next to the open door of a black BMW, waving enthusiastically towards her. She walked across the car, reaching out to embrace her despite the traffic honking at them. Soon after they loaded up her bags and took off for the beach house.

Ginny gripped the handle of the car, still so unsure about this way of transport. Despite her unease, she had been quite impressed at the way Hermione weaved in and out of traffic, going far faster than any other car on the road. They had the obligatory conversation about Harry's departure, to which she had learned of his plan to travel to America and also his promise to keep in touch via electronic mail.

Grateful, Ginny watched as Hermione magicked her suitcases up the path and into the house as the pair of them trailed behind. Once inside, Hermione had given Ginny a quick tour, recognizing how exhausted the redhead was.

From there, she was shown to their bedroom. Ginny plopped on her bed, which was identical and across the room from Hermione's. The heat was so thick, it felt as though it weighed about as much as an elephant on her chest. Hermione insisted that she would get used to it. Ginny was doubtful as she stripped down to shorts and a tank top, too exhausted to even shower and fell into bed.

After she was certain that her friend was asleep, Hermione pulled the blankets out from under Ginny, covering her up before retiring herself.

If she had to guess, it was late afternoon when she had stumbled out of bed again. Hermione was nowhere to be found, but Ginny was thankful for her swamp like appearance was sure to be frightening. While in the shower, she peered out the window where the ocean crashed into the beach, where the sun had just begun to set. Hermione lay on a chair half way between the house and the ocean. Ginny could hear her humming to the music emitting from the headphones she wore, the black chord trailing passed the black bikini to the cell phone on the stand next to her. She shut the window, the glass rattling a bit with the force.

Hermione had walked in from the beach at the same time as Ginny descended the stairs for the first time since arriving. The strong scent of cooking came from the kitchen, where Ginny could hear Mrs. Granger laughing. Suddenly, the door swung open, "Oh hello girls!" Mrs. Granger exclaimed, "Dinner should be done shortly, Hermione if you could go and get changed and Ginny if you could set the table please."

And like that, she was gone, back into the kitchen to stir whatever smelt so marvelous. Ginny recognized instantly where Hermione got her 'assertiveness' from.

Dinner was a splendid affair. For every overly enthusiastic question her parents had it seemed that Ginny had an equally enthusiastic question in return. They had smiled at one another across the table, Ginny pausing only to chew.

A while after dessert, the Grangers had retired to their room, leaving Hermione and Ginny sitting at the dining room table.

As if she had been waiting the entire evening, Hermione pulled out a thick stack of paper and slammed it on the counter with a bang.

"So…" Hermione started, flipping through the first title pages settling on one with small writing top to bottom. She folded her hands on the paper and looked up on Ginny.

"So…" Ginny followed suit, mocking Hermione's suddenly serious manner. Laughter quickly broke her tough façade.

"WELL," Hermione said with a certain air of impatience, "you've never been to Australia before and I wanted to make sure you had a fantastic time."

"All right then," Ginny pulled the stack towards her, "what's this then?"

Hermione spent the next half hour going over Ginny's entire stay, start to finish, color coded depending on the type of activity. There was zip lining, wizard snorkeling, surfing, but first Hermione insisted, shopping. Ginny would have to endure what she was sure to be hours at the muggle mall tomorrow. She thought of how small her suitcase was however, and so she didn't argue.

"Wow," Ginny sat back, "you've really out done yourself this time Hermione."

"Thanks," she smiled, "Are you tired?"

"Nope," Ginny laced her fingers on top of her head, breathing heavily from the enormous plate of dessert she had eaten.

Soon after, the women sat side by side, in comfortable chairs, the water lapping at their ankles. Ginny looked over, using her hand to block the harsh beginning of sunset, "Hermione, these chairs cannot possibly be what muggles use."

The squash armchairs had ever growing lines of where the water was invading the fabric skirting the bottom. To Ginny's astonishment, Hermione swore at the incoming tide. They stood and Hermione levitated the chairs farther back.

Ginny sat back in her arm chair, pulling off her sweat shirt. The air conditioned house was chilly compared to the always warm Burrow. The Australian heat took some getting used to if she was honest, the moisture made the air thick, uncomfortable. She draped her sweat shirt over the back of her arm chair and sat back, adjusting her tank top, enjoying the cool breeze over her too warm skin.

Hermione stood in front of her, silhouetted by the sun. She held her wand arm out and shouted, "REDUCTO!"

Their hearts hammered as the gunshot blast vibrated through them followed by the thousands of grains of sand pelted at each of their faces. Hermione was coughing somewhere to Ginny's left, as she desperately rubbed the sand from her eyes, which to her relief had been covered in time. Still unable to see, Ginny heard Hermione sputter, "I'm okay." While spitting into the sand and coughing with considerable vigor.

The result of Hermione's spell was a crater the size of an overturned motorcycle. Hermione laughed, tears spilling from her eyes from coughing.

"What the hell Hermione?" Ginny said, running her fingers through her hair, dislodging sand.

"I meant to make a fire pit, only I didn't mean to make it this large, no matter." She pointed her wand towards the sea now, and Ginny took an immediate step back. "Accio wood!"

Deformed, twisted chunks of wood broke from the waves, landing neatly in the pit. They sat in silence, the fire between themselves and the ocean. The sun had broken the horizon, sending an array of lavender and magentas through the sky. It wasn't until the sun had completely disappeared, darkness replacing the brilliant colors from a few moments before that one of them spoke.

It was Ginny, "Hey Hermione?"

"Yeah?" She looked over, the light from the fire dancing across them.

"There's something I want to do while I am here," Ginny wouldn't, couldn't, look up at her friend who was looking at her with such compassion.

"What's that Gin?" She asked softly, reading the seriousness of the moment.

"I want to get a tattoo- for Fred," She quickly added, as though that would influence Hermione's approval.

"Of course," Hermione said with certain finality.

They sat, both thinking of Fred, until something in the fire had caught Ginny's eye. "Hermione," she accidentally shouted, "What's that?" The fire had begun to die down. Ginny could see flickers of pink and blue throughout the flames.

"It's from the dioxin in the salt soaked wood." She answered.

"It's beautiful." Ginny said, unable to remove her eyes from the mesmerizing bits of color. They swirled throughout, lavender and a blue that was certainly from the sea.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Ginny woke with a start, the pale dawn just beginning to pierce through the windows. Her nightmares found her, no matter where in the world. She walked through the house, exiting through the back door after slipping on her trainers. Unable to bring her broom through airport security, Ginny was uncertain of what to do. She decided to pick a direction, and run.

Her footsteps slapped against the pavement in the still morning. Ginny was surprised at the way her breathing kept up with her rapid heartbeat. She pushed ever faster, passing what had to have been at least half a mile. Sweat had completely dampened her clothing by the time she had slowed. Lacing her fingers above her head, Ginny gulped deep breaths, walking slowly through the entrance of a small fishing pier. Unable to see the end due to the foliage, it was when Ginny turned the corner that she stopped in her tracks. Much to her surprise, Hermione sat at the end of the pier, legs crossed, clutching a cup of steaming liquid.

Hermione did not see her she realized, hesitantly stepping, hoping against hope not to scare her friend. A board creaked loudly, causing Hermione's head to snap in her direction. "Did you come after me?" Hermione asked as Ginny took a seat on the bench next to her. She asked another before Ginny had time to respond to the first, "And why are you so sweaty?" 

They met like that each and every single morning of Ginny's stay, Hermione waking far before dawn and strolling through the dark streets to the pier. Ginny would wake after, sprinting towards Hermione, who would be waiting with a bottle of water. They would sit, silent, until one or the other reached a hand out. The other would take it, and Hermione would apparate them back to the beach house. They would stumble back upstairs, and sleep until the sun had fully risen into the sky.

That afternoon Ginny slammed the car door, exhausted from a day spent at a shopping mall. The place was crawling with people, old and young. She had spent the majority of the day sitting outside of the dressing room, while Hermione tried on outfit after outfit. This was curious to Ginny, for having six siblings left little time for meandering when shopping for muggle clothes. She made her selections during the time it took Hermione to change. She then gave her honest opinion and picked up where she left off on the rack. It did not take long for her arms to be laden with clothes which she laid in a heap in the chair next to her. She did not try anything on. Instead, Ginny chewed at her fingernails while waiting for Hermione to decide.

What seemed like days later to Ginny, Hermione emerged from the dressing room for the last time that day. Much to Ginny's amusement, it took two store employees to carry their combined purchases to the front, where they would be waiting to carry the sure to be dozen bags to the car.

She climbed into the car, Hermione speeding off before she had even gotten her seatbelt on. "Urgh, Hermione," Ginny grumbled, jostling from side to side as Hermione sped in and out of traffic.

They stopped too soon Ginny realized looking around out of the windows. Hermione parked next to a dark building. The red neon sign adorned above the door. "Diablo's" Ginny read as she walked through the entrance behind Hermione.

The place was more crowded than she had expected from the looks of the outside. She and Hermione squeezed their way through the people, finding an empty table in the midst of the bustling dining room. A waiter approached them suddenly handing them each menus. His name was Dennis and the special of the evening was fish and chips.

"Sounds good to me," Ginny said, not bothering to open the menu.

"I'll have the chicken salad, dressing on the side, please," Hermione ordered.

"Drinks for you ladies?" Dennis the waiter asked.

"I'll-," Hermione suddenly cut her off, "She'll have a rum and coke, and I'll have a water with lemon, please."

"I'll just be needin' to see your ID." Dennis the waiter said turning towards Ginny.

Ginny feigned as though digging through her pockets, feeling a nudge under the table from Hermione, who smiled eerily and said, "That shouldn't be a problem, right Dennis?" She had batted her eyelashes for extra measure.

A look of confusion crossed Dennis the waiter, "Of course, no problem." With that, he walked from their table as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Hermione," Ginny said, her voice hushed even though it was hardly necessary in the crowded room, "Did you jinx him?"

He appeared suddenly, placing their drinks on the table and skipping off without another word. Ginny sipped her drink, which was disgusting but having never had a muggle drink before, had left her feeling warm and wired only after a few minutes, her limbs tingling from the alcohol.

She smiled stupidly at Hermione, who only replied, "I don't see you complaining."

They chatted about life at the Burrow, until Dennis the waiter interrupted Ginny's rant about Mrs. Weasley's new found cleaning routines to ask if she wanted another drink. It was as Ginny took the first sip of the strong beverage that she realized what had been on her mind as of late, "So what's with you and him anyway?" Ginny sort of burst out, "My brother," She added unnecessarily, "Ron."

"Well…" Hermione thought, pushing her lemon wedge around her glass with her straw, "Nothing actually."

"Huh," Ginny grunted, clearly unconvinced.

"Honestly, Ginny," Hermione pleaded, "We kissed before the battle, and we haven't talked about it since. We have spent time together, but he hasn't brought it up- I hope he doesn't." She had said more than she had meant, flustered for whatever reason by Ginny's accusing stare across the table.

"What about you and Harry?" Hermione shot back, deflecting.

A shadow of pain passed over Ginny's face, but only for a split second before disappearing again. "Harry's unavailable. He always has been," She looked up, making eye contact with Hermione. "It was doomed from the start and we both knew it, I was just grateful to be a part of his life, even for a short time."

The subject was dropped after that, for the arrival of the food had distracted them both from the unusual tension that had built between them. Neither spoke the entire car ride home. They treaded the path to the house, both exhausted as Hermione magicked the bags to float behind them. The house was still and quiet as the pair climbed the stairs, Ginny falling into bed without even bothering to change.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Neither of them spoke of their conversation at dinner last night. At about noon, Hermione threw open the curtains, revealing a sunny sky. Ginny groaned.

"Get up!" Hermione said loudly, throwing the other shade open.

Ginny groaned again, rolling over to hide her face from the blinding sun. The blanket suddenly was thrown off of her, flying across the room in a heap. Her head hit the mattress as the pillows had suddenly vanished too.

"Hermione," Ginny whined, rolling over to face her friend. She stood there, next to the bed, staring at Ginny with an annoying expression of delight. "Fine," she grumbled, throwing her legs over the edge of the bed. "What are we doing today again?" She yawned, stretching before heading towards the running shower.

"Zip lining!" Hermione shouted from the other room.

Ginny mumbled to the bottle of shampoo she was holding, "Sounds dangerous."

It was much to Ginny's relief that zip lining had not been dangerous. In fact, zip lining was just a safe, linear version of flying. They had been strapped into body harnesses and without another word, pushed into the open air. Through the noise of the wind, she heard Hermione mutter a faint, "Oh."

They descended quickly, minutes later being stopped at the bottom and helped out of the harnesses. Ginny had picked up on the lyrics of the muggle songs on the radio, and so she sang along with a rather windswept looking Hermione on the ride home.

Back at the beach house, Hermione and Ginny were both quite surprised to find an owl waiting for them in the kitchen. Mrs. Granger emerged from the living room, "He got here just a moment ago."

Hermione untied the scroll, passing it off to Ginny, "It's from your mum."

"Oh yeah," Ginny said, remembering suddenly that they had been awaiting her reply. "Well, I'm going to go read this," she said sort of awkwardly, bounding up the stairs. She sat at the desk in their room, Hermione at her shoulder almost immediately.

Ginny summarized, "Basically, Ron's really upset about it, but they both understand." She handed the letter off to Hermione, grabbing for her pajamas to go to bed.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed after she had finished reading, and she too got ready for another sleepless night.

Much to Ginny's absolute delight, the days that followed were filled with activities much more thrilling then zip lining. With the help of Hermione's expert bubblehead charm, they had spent hours diving off of the beach near the house. They swam among the fish, tapping one another excitedly whenever something interesting came along.

Hermione had taken her to muggle movies, bars, an amusement park and even to the zoo. They had a fabulous time on their adventures, and seemingly good luck to boot. Hermione drove them home and they joined the Grangers for dinner, retiring to the beach until well after sunset. Laughing themselves to tears by the end of most days, they always ended them just the same, pulling on pajamas and climbing into bed.

During one particularly sunny afternoon, Hermione and Ginny made their way through a crowded beach, deciding on a spot far enough away from everyone. Ginny craned her neck, searching for what brought them here and away from their secluded sea side. "Hermione," she called out, finding what she was looking for. The sign had bold letters reading: SURF LESSONS.

After giving Ginny the right amount of muggle money, she wished her friend luck and sat down in her chair. Hermione pulled a rather large volume from her beach bag and began where she had left off. She'd glance up occasionally, usually unable to see Ginny through the mass of people. Once finished with the land portion of the lesson however, Hermione could just see the red hair belonging to Ginny bobbing up and down between the waves. She watched until the too large wave came crashing down upon Ginny, sending her hurtling through the water, it was too much stress for her to take. At least when her friends played Quidditch, drowning wasn't a factor.

Ginny had almost not seen Hermione who was still sitting in her chair, a rather large book sitting on her lap. A tall, muscular man stood towering over her, the back of his shirt reading LIFE GUARD. He was talking animatedly about something, judging by the ever increasing movement of his hands. Ginny had approached just in time to hear the man ask, "So anyways, can I have your numbah?"

It was as though she hit an invisible barrier for Ginny had stopped suddenly, her feet sinking into the sand. Her body hard as stone, every muscle tensed in anticipation. After doing a fair number of somersaults, her stomach had erupted in a nauseous feeling growing ever worse with each passing second. Ginny heard nothing else but her own heart beat, her vision blurring at the edges as Hermione spoke. "Sure."

"What was that about?" Ginny asked as casually as she could muster, ignoring the sick feeling welling in her stomach.

"Oh nothing, just some guy who wanted my phone number." Hermione said nonchalantly, putting her heavy book bag in her bag.

"Did you give it to him?" she questioned, regretting it almost immediately.

Hermione laughed, "A fake one yeah, you know I don't have a muggle cell phone." She laughed even louder at the brilliance of her own prank.

It was as though Ginny had been plunged into the Black Lake in the middle of the snowy winter. The chilly feeling of relief spread through her, sending goosebumps erupting throughout her body.

"Are you okay, Gin?" Hermione asked, always so annoyingly observant of things.

"Just a little sun sick, I think," Ginny lied, changing the subject to her surfing lesson.

Ginny had opted to skip dinner that evening, instead spending a very long time in the shower sorting through what she would call an absolute garbage heap of unfamiliar feelings.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Ginny did not go back to sleep after they had apparated home the morning of the eve of her departure. Today was the day she would finally get her tattoo in memory of Fred. She and Hermione had debated on placement and style on and off the entire trip. Ginny would get Fred's name, in a small neat handwriting mirroring Hermione's, right above her heart. It wouldn't be visible at school and Mrs. Weasley would have no idea.

She sat still in her bed, listening for Hermione's breathing to slow indicating she had fallen back asleep. It didn't, and after a while, Hermione sat up in bed and whispered, "Ginny?"

She whispered back, turned towards the wall, "Yeah?"

"I've had a wonderful time."

"Me too," and her eyes closed, falling asleep again.

Hermione had fretted on the way to the tattoo shop, "I just don't know if I can do it!"

"Hermione!" Ginny rebuked her accent heavier due to irritation, " Of course you can do it, you're the 'brightest witch of your age' remember'?"

The ice cold glare she received shook her. Ginny tried to backtrack, "You practiced on Dennis the waiter didn't you? You obviously wouldn't jinx a muggle for no reason, not with your outstanding nobility."

"You are very clever, Ginny Weasley." Hermione said, watching the road.

"Not as clever as you, love," Ginny looked over, where Hermione was staring intentionally at the road.

The music in the tattoo shop was absolutely outrageous, in Ginny's opinion. It was far too loud, seeming to thud directly inside her skull. Her mother would call it noise. Hermione however, peered around at the cleanliness of the place, talking loudly over the music, "We have an appointment."

The pierced receptionist smacked her gum, "Name?"

"Hermione Granger," the receptionist turned around, grabbing something.

"Confundo," Hermione muttered, barely audible.

The receptionist hesitated for a moment, turning around and saying brightly, "All right Hermione, you're all set, I'll let the artist know you're here."

They waited in the lobby for a minute or so, before a pretty, tattooed woman with long hair called them back. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw the receptionist spit out her gum as she followed Hermione back.

" Heyya, I'm Sammie," her smile was dazzling. She sat in a chair positioned close to where Ginny sat. Sammie had long, blonde hair tied behind her back. She wore blue overalls over a bright white bikini top. She spoke with a heavy Australian accent, golden brown skin peeked around tattoos, as though she were hardly ever indoors.

"Ginny, Hermione," Ginny pointed at herself then at Hermione who sat in a chair under a large painting of a lion.

"What are we gettin' today?" Sammie got straight to the point.

" Uh," Ginny pulled out the version she and Hermione had decided on earlier that week, and handed it to Sammie. "It's for my brother." Her face twisting up as though in physical pain.

Sammie's face frowned. She reached out, placing a hand on Ginny's leg, her voice softer now, "Where ya wanna get it, hun?"

"Here," Ginny brought her hand to her chest, pointing directly above her heart.

"Okay," Sammie pulled out a marker, gesturing with it to Ginny, "May I?"

"Sure," Ginny agreed, shifting slightly, lifting her chin out of the way.

Sammie stared at the paper for a few moments before putting the marker to Ginny's pale skin. It was cold as it swept across her chest a dozen times, before Sammie said, "Have a look."

Ginny stood and walked to the mirror. She gazed at herself, the writing exactly as the paper, exactly the size she had imagined it. It crossed her mind that Sammie may have similar tattoos for others. Hermione looked up expectantly when Ginny walked across the room to her, asking, "What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect," Hermione stood, getting a closer look.

"You sure?" Ginny pleaded for Hermione's confirmation.

"Yeah Gin," Hermione smiled widely.

"Alrightly," Sammie's breath brushed over Ginny, the tattoo gun suddenly buzzed to life, "Here we go."

Ginny did not move, pushing past the pain, her mind on Fred. Her skin was irritated quickly, beaming bright red immediately. Ginny breathed in deeply.

"You alright?" Sammie hesitated.

Ginny nodded and Sammie got back to work.

Sammie spoke again after a long time, carefully, "So is Fred no longer with us?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry." She stopped, and Ginny realized she was looking at her rather intensely. Sammie broke the stare, wiping away excess ink, "You're not from around here are you?"

Ginny cleared her throat, trying to ignore the needle stabbing at her skin. "No," she smiled, "England."

"Ahhh," Sammie chuckled, "You here on vacation?"

"Yeah, just visiting a friend."

The tattoo machine continued to buzz, "You here for a while?"

"No, actually I leave tomorrow," she answered, still looking up at the ceiling.

Sammie paused, wiping a paper towel across Ginny's chest. Ginny took the moment to readjust herself, once again finding Sammie looking intently at her, "Bummer."

Ginny smiled, staring again at the ceiling before the needle grazed her skin again. She was feeling light and dizzy from the adrenaline flooding her veins. Only this time, Ginny could feel Sammie's fingers linger, wiping away the ink slower than a before.

"Alrighty girly, I think we're finished."

Ignoring the stiffness in her body, Ginny bounded to the mirror. Though her skin was red and irritated, the tattoo was exactly as she had imagined it.

"You like it?" Sammie said, standing beside her.

"Yeah," Ginny replied, grinning at Sammie in the mirror, before turning unexpectedly and throwing her arms around her, "Thanks Sammie."

"You're welcome." Sammie replied, patting her back before turning away. She handed Ginny a small bag, explaining how to care for her tattoo. As Ginny followed a very fast walking Hermione through the hall, she heard Sammie call out. "So ya know- if you're ever in town again, look me up."

Ginny floated on cloud nine all the way back to the house. She smiled and stared lazily out the window, snapping back to reality as a blast erupted to her left. Instinctually, Ginny raised her arms to cover her face as glass shards peppered her skin, leaving hundreds of tiny cuts behind. Her ears rang as she gaped through the missing driver's side window, where she could see Hermione, bushy hair bobbing behind her as she sprinted up the path.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Their bedroom door was locked, Ginny had realized, pushing against it with considerable force. "HERMIONE!" She bellowed, not caring if the Grangers were home. Ginny hit it now, cursing her inability to use magic. "Damn it Hermione! Open the door!"

"Are you okay?" She called, giving up her attempt to force the heavy wooden door open.

"Yes." Hermione said quietly on the other side of the door.

And then silence, followed by more silence. The more time went on, the more annoyed Ginny got. She stopped calling out eventually and it was well after dark that Ginny had finally decided to call it quits and go to bed. Realizing her bed was behind the sturdy wooden door, Ginny drank some water in the kitchen before ransacking the living room of pillows and blankets, deciding that she would spend the night on the beach. Door slamming behind her, Ginny refused to look over her shoulder at the window.

She settled in the sand, a lot more comfortable than she expected. Sleep crashed over her, exhaustion of the day finally setting in. As the waves rolled onto shore, so did the clouds. The night sky became overcast, a chill setting in. Between the blankets and the sun warmed sand, Ginny was not aware of the eerie green twinge in the sky.

Tears ran full force from Hermione's eyes. She breathed heavily, tiny gasps escaping her. Her hands clutched her knees as she sat on the edge of Ginny's bed, staring at nothing in front of her. Knowing, but not believing, had the window really exploded? She asked herself. It had, she remembered feeling- the front door of the house slammed suddenly, the force reverberating throughout that side of the house.

Hermione used her sleeve to wipe her face, standing to look out the window. Ginny, armed with pillows and blankets, walked fast down towards the beach. Though quite far, Hermione could see her settling in, going still almost at once. She stared for a long time, ultimately coming to a decision. Hermione would be brave- she would walk down to the beach and confront the scariest thing she had been faced with so far. Dementors and Death Eaters were nothing.

Somewhere in the pile of pillows and blankets, Hermione could hear Ginny breathing. Her head snapped in the direction of the first lightning. Thunder boomed seconds later, causing her heart to hammer madly. The rain came immediately after that, causing the mound of blankets to stir. Ginny emerged, wand raised, "Hermione?"

"Ginny!" Hermione had to shout over the wind and rain. "There's a storm!"

"Yeah?" Ginny pushed her already soaked hair out of her face, putting her wand away. She shouted over the sounds of foliage whipping about with wind, "I see that?"

The sky lit bright for a moment, creating a snap shot. The pair of them- standing close enough to reach out and touch one another. Thunder clapped, bringing them back. Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand, leading her towards the house. To her surprise, Hermione dug her heels into the sand. "What are you doing?" Ginny said loudly, the wind making it almost impossible to hear. Hermione stood there, still clutching Ginny's hand, shaking her head side to side.

"NO!" Hermione yelled, rain mixed tears streaming down her cheeks.

Ginny turned, completely at a loss. The storm grew even stronger still, the lightning almost simultaneous with the thunder.

"-tell you something." Hermione interrupted by the booming thunder.

"Tell me what?" Ginny took a step closer, just wishing Hermione would get out of this storm.

Hermione's mouth moved, but Ginny did not hear a word. The thunder crashed louder than ever before. The rain fell straight down between them. Ginny squinted, hardly able to see Hermione except for when the lightning brightened the sky.

Hermione stared at Ginny, knowing her words had not taken by the way Ginny still continued to pull at her hand. "DAMN IT GINNY," she had definitely heard that as her pulling had ceased immediately.

Ginny took a step towards Hermione, lightning flashing, illuminating them for a moment. Hermione stood there, a fierce, determined look on her face.

She was closer now, Ginny could feel her hot breath on her neck as she spoke, "Ginny, I love you."

Their hands fell apart.

Ginny took a step back, the howling wind causing her hair to whip about her face.

Hermione stood, looking absolutely terrified, bushy hair flat with rain.

Then Ginny's hands clutched the bare skin above Hermione's jeans, pulling her close. Their lips crashed together, thunder shaking the ground under their feet.

It was Hermione who pulled away first, pulling Ginny's hand towards the house. She followed, and they raced up the path way to the covered porch. They did not make it inside however, before the pair had became intertwined again.

Ginny pushed Hermione into the side of the house, kissing her hard. Hermione wrapped her arms around Ginny's waist, seeking out the bare skin of her lower back. They stayed like that for a long time, until Ginny had realized Hermione had begun shaking from the cold air and still wet from the rain.

They burst through the door and ran up the stairs, Ginny reaching the top first. Ginny heard the door clicked lock behind them as Hermione muttered, "Muffliato."

Hermione kissed her again, but pulled away too soon. "Wait here."

Ginny took the time alone to change out of her rain soaked clothes, easily deciding on a black tank top and shorts, ignoring the clothing whizzing past her to the bathroom. She had just sat back on her bed when Hermione emerged.

Standing in the doorway was most certainly the most beautiful witch that had ever existed. Hermione wore a lace bra with matching underwear. Even though she had witnessed the purchase of the pair at their recent trip to the shopping mall, Ginny could have never imagined that they would look quite like this. Hermione had magicked her hair dry, which hung long over her sun tanned skin. Grinning, she walked towards where Ginny sat paralyzed. Hermione kissed her, pushing her so they were both laying in bed.

They kissed, Ginny's hands trailing across Hermione's muscular back. She moaned into her mouth as Ginny grabbed at her hips, pulling her closer. Their bodies intertwined, neither ending nor beginning.

"Ginny," Hermione breathed heavily.

She emerged from where she was kissing Hermione's neck, lost in the magnificent taste of her skin. "Yeah?"

"We should stop." She said, completely breathless.

"Okay." Ginny said, still kissing down Hermione's throat.

"Gin," Hermione said, firmer. She moved then, tucking herself into Ginny's outstretched arm.

They fell asleep, breathing in unison.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Hermione woke first well before dawn. She removed herself from the still sleeping Ginny, taking a seat on her bed across the room. The memories of last night's events swirled around her. Her usual nightmares hadn't woken her. Instead, thoughts of heart break and judgment plagued her dreams. She watched Ginny sleep, so relaxed and beautiful in the pale moon's glow.

She got up and left the room, feeling panicked at the overwhelming feeling that flooded her.

"FRED!" Ginny had shouted herself awake. It was only when she stood up; attempting to shake off her latest nightmare, that she had realized that Hermione's bed had not been slept in.

"Oh." She gasped out loud to herself, remembering the previous night. Was this morning any different though?

Ginny raced out the door, not bothering to close it behind her. Her legs carried her as fast as they were able. She concentrated on lengthening each step, no matter how bad her legs burned- justifying the pain.

Her knees had just about given out by the time she had rounded the corner on the pier. Ginny came to a stop, breathless, clutching to the wooden rail of the pier.

Hermione did not move when Ginny approached. She stayed completely still as she sat beside her, "Hermione?"

She turned, staring into Ginny's ocean blue eyes.

"Hermione, I love you too."

They kissed again, slower this time. It had dawned on the both them that Ginny left that day, heading back to the Burrow. It was because of that that the kissing suddenly became faster.

When they were through, Hermione laid her head on Ginny's shoulder. They stared out at the calm water.

Hermione sat up suddenly, "Let's walk back today."

"Now?" Ginny asked.

"Sure," Hermione stood up, pulling Ginny by the hand.

They walked like that, fingers interlaced together the whole way back. At one point, Ginny had said out of the blue, "So this is happening?"

Hermione swung their hands, grinning, "It sure is."

That afternoon, the Grangers hugged Ginny in turn thanking her for coming to visit. They had also apologized for their absence, explaining that they had planned a vacation to New Zealand months ago. Ginny had hardly noticed.

Hermione and Ginny kissed passionately yet again after parking in the garage. It was only when Hermione had begun placing soft kisses on Ginny's collar bone, that the redhead had noticed the time. "Shit, Hermione, I'm gonna miss my flight."

People bumped them as Ginny and Hermione pushed their way through the crowds. They muttered apology after apology, but still hurtled forwards towards the terminal. With only minutes to spare, they had finally arrived. The airport worker had only just begun calling for all boarding zones. Ginny was sure she had enough time.

"Listen- Hermione," she pulled her aside, away from the crowd of people swarming the terminal beside theirs. Ginny stared directly into Hermione's brown eyes, knowing she would not have the chance for a very long time after this. She began again thoughts transforming into instant speech, "Hermione, I just want to sort of make this official you know. Because I'm going back to the Burrow, and you'll be out adventuring in Australia. And I'll be back at the Burrow, only thinking about you. Hermione," Ginny groaned, frustrated that she wasn't getting the point across.

Hermione stared pointedly at her, smiling brightly as she said, "Well, Ginevra, I can guarantee that I will not be 'adventuring'", Hermione made air quotes, "with anyone but you." She kissed Ginny fast, hearing the woman calling last call at their gate.

"Okay then," Ginny grinned, "See you at Kings Cross, yeah?"

"You might be seeing me again sooner than you think," and with that, Hermione winked and pushed her girlfriend towards the gate. She watched Ginny jog up to the woman, then turning to wave at Hermione one last time before entering the plane bridge.

Ginny watched out the window as the plane lifted into the air. Sorrow filled her, only to be replaced with Hermione's departing words, "Sooner than you think." She eventually closed her eyes, sleeping and dreaming of her days in Australia almost the entire way to the Burrow.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"Mum, I'm home," Ginny called out, kicking off her shoes and closing the door to the Burrow behind her.

Mrs. Weasley had come shuffling in, smiling brightly, "Welcome home, m'dear." She pulled Ginny in for a long hug. Claiming that she could feel far too many of Ginny's ribs, she set to work making something to eat. Truthfully she was starving, so she sat down at the table and waited.

Ron came into the kitchen then, smiling warmly at his sister, "Heyya sis, how are you?" But before she could even answer, he asked, "How's Hermione?"

"Fantastic." Ginny had used that word the previous evening as well, but that time to describe how Hermione had looked standing in the doorway to their bedroom.

It was only herself, Ron, her mother, and her father at the Burrow. No one popped in and out like they had for so long previously. It was much quieter now with the absence of footsteps thundering up the stairs or bangs emitting from Fred and George's room. She thanked Ron for carrying up her bag.

"You're welcome," much to her irritation he took a seat on her bed. She softened as he spoke quietly, "Sorry, you know, about Harry."

"That's not your fault." Ginny snapped, certain guilt setting in. "Ron?" She looked down at him from where she stood, "Can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah, of course Gin." He said, not hesitant in the slightest.

"Especially from mum," she said, unbuttoning the top of her shirt, revealing the fully healed tattoo.

"Woah!" Ron stood almost knocking Ginny over. He got a closer look, "Did it hurt?"

"No," she said buttoning up her shirt.

"That's sweet Gin." He was not aware of the chasm that had opened between them. His blue eyes had already filled with tears as they so often did.

Crying made her uncomfortable so she changed the subject to Quidditch. His face lit up as she let him give her a detailed recap from the time she had been away.

They had agreed to play immediately following breakfast the next day, and so they waddled, stomachs too full, to the apple orchard. Ron and Ginny both mounted their Firebolts and soared through the air. Only landing every now and again to catch a stray apple, Ron clearly practiced while she was gone.

Ginny had to call it a bit before sunset after an apple had almost hit her face because her vision had lost it in the dusk. Come to think of it, her vision did seem off as of late. She thought of the size of a golden snitch compared to an apple. Just last year she had been able to see a snitch, but now she couldn't see an apple? Ginny resolved to ask Hermione in her next letter.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Hermione had arrived home hours later, calling out while tossing her keys on the countertop. She kicked her shoes off impatiently, her mum calling out, "Hermione?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Hermione said walking into the living room, "Traffic was an absolute nightmare, I highly considered parking and Apparating back." She stopped suddenly, noticing how odd her parents had looked.

Her mother and father sat side by side, sitting straight up right, hands folded their laps. The odd thing was the bemused expressions on both of their faces. They looked at her expectantly, as if waiting for her to say something. Hermione only stared at them, looking highly confused. "Mum…? Dad…?" She said their names in the form of a question.

"Hermione…?" They said simultaneously, clearly mocking her confused tone.

Now she was even more confused for they started laughing, her dad reaching over to touch her mother's shoulder, "Stop, stop, it isn't funny, dear." He cleared his throat and repeated, voice deeper, "We're sorry dear."

Her mother only nodded, stifling a laugh behind her hand.

Her father shot her mother a rather scary look, turning back to Hermione immediately, "You're mother," he explained, "had some wine."

Hermione followed where he had looked, at the coffee table that sat between them. There were two half drunk wine glasses there, along with almost empty bottle.

Then two things happened at once.

One, Hermione had noticed the letter that lay open on the table. She recognized the hand writing from where she sat, it was from Ron. Strangely, he had sent it via muggle mail.

Two, her mother had stopped laughing and finally spoke, "Well, Hermione, you mustn't blame us, we certainly weren't surprised to learn that you had almost died countless times while defeating Voldemort, but this, this is…" she trailed off.

"Is surprising," her father concluded. Hastily adding, "Not bad, but a shock nonetheless."

As she took a step towards the letter, she froze, their words taking meaning. It sent an icy chill down her spine. Head snapping in her parents' direction, "What?" Hermione said- mouth suddenly dry.

Neither her mother nor her father smiled now. They both looked rather sympathetic. Her father spoke first, "The letter is addressed to us. It is from Ron. It asks for our permission to be your boyfriend."

Her mother smiled at her, "But we couldn't help but notice another Weasley had caught your eye." Adding a wink.

Hermione collapsed back onto the arm chair, a word forming as the air was pushed from her lungs, "Shit."

When she came to from her temporary stress black out, her mother had been scalding her from cursing in their presence. "Oh, you all are ones to talk," Hermione raised her voice, "IT ISN'T FUNNY."

"OKAY." Her father bellowed causing Hermione to stop shouting. "We are sorry Hermione, we shouldn't have laughed."

"Wine isn't an excuse," her mother added.

"Fine," Hermione forgave them. She had always been far more serious than her parents, even when she was little. Now that the panic had worn off, she had actually felt relieved for them to know. She did not think about them laughing at the circumstance of her new relationship however, for she did not want to start shouting again. "How did you know?"

"That was the next thing we needed to talk to you about," her mother said, gesturing towards the wall sized window. It had a crack clear across the middle of the glass. "We think it happened when Ginny slammed the door, just before the storm started."

"Oh," Hermione pointed her wand at the glass, nonverbally repairing it.

"Yes," her father said curtly, "And we want you to know we love you very much, but we are concerned about that," he pointed at the letter.

"I'll take care of it." Hermione stood, grabbing the letter and beginning the ascent to her room. She stopped half way up the stairs and called over her shoulder, "Love you."

"Love you, too." They both shouted back.


	13. 13

Chapter Thirteen

Hermione was seriously impressed at how warm and sunny it was upon arriving in a field just outside the Burrow. She gazed around at the tall vegetation, giving her parents a moment to settle down. Only a moment however, for Hermione had turned and walked quickly towards the Burrow. She froze at the gate, staring up at the crooked house.

Ginny was inside. Ginny was her girlfriend. Ron was there too, along with all memories that had leeched into the place. The memories that she avoided at all cost, choosing to distract herself in the hot summer sun, rather than wallow in her icy pit of despair. Her parents having caught up by now, Hermione thought now would be an appriotpiate time for the umpteenth reminder to absolutely under no circumstances let on about her and Ginny's relationship.

"You have our word," her father said, and Hermione turned pointedly to her mother.

"No wine," her mother promised with a chuckle, pushing open the gate leading them inside.

Ginny had sat at the kitchen table, reading a book, for the entire morning. Her mother had not specified when the Grangers would be arriving, and she refused to ask. Having not been too fond of reading however, she had taken to just staring at the page making sure to turn it every couple of minutes. It was just as Mrs. Weasley had began preparing lunch that her head snapped up at the sound of several people laughing outside. Ginny stood up immediately, sending her chair rocketing backwards. Unsure what to do after that, she hastily pushed her chair in, happy that her mother had not turned from the stove. She stood resolute, aware that Ron had just entered the room and now sat to her right. Her hands gripped the chair in front of her, knuckles turning snow white as the door creaked opened.

Hermione strolled through the entryway, her parents in tow. Her hair swayed from side to side as she looked around the room. When their eyes locked, it was though both of them exhaled fully for the first time in weeks. Mrs. Weasley bustled over, greeting Hermione excitedly. They hugged, but Hermione did not look away from Ginny. Her fingers ached, still gripping the chair too tight. It was all she could do to prevent her from bounding across the room, into her love's arms.

Hermione and her parents made small talk with Mrs. Weasley, but still she did not look away from Ginny.

Mr. Weasley had pulled the Grangers away referencing the notebook in which he had kept track of muggle related questions that had popped into his head. These included entries such as, "What exactly is a 5.99 buffet? And Where do the garbage men take the garbage?"

Mrs Weasley hurried after him, wishing he would have at least let them take their jackets off before bludgeoning them with questions.

Ginny broke the gaze first, her resolve nearly dissolved as Ron kissed Hermione's cheek before hugging her hello. She found a particularly interesting spot on the ceiling as she ground her teeth together. Fury raced through her veins, her temper not needing much to set it off.

"Ron?" Hermione interrupted, the fact that she had not been listening to whatever he had been saying plain to Ginny. She glanced away from Ginny for the first time since entering the room, "Would you mind taking my things upstairs?" Hermione flashed a brilliant white smile at him.

"Uh, sure," He stammered and grabbed for her trunk, failing to lift it off the ground. "Geeze, Hermione, do you have the entire library in here?"

She ignored him, lazily flicking her wand in his direction. He picked up the trunk with one hand and headed up the stairs. It was as soon as his back was turned, Ginny and Hermione both took two very large steps, meeting in the middle of the kitchen. Hermione threw her arms around Ginny, hugging her very tightly, "I missed you."

"I love you," Ginny knew those needed to be the first words she spoke to Hermione.

"I love you, too," Hermione said, pulling back to look Ginny in the face. She looked from her lips to her blue eyes and kissed her.

Too soon they pulled apart, distancing themselves at the creaks heading down the stairs towards them. Their interlaced hands fell apart as Ron entered the room once more.


	14. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"But mum," Ginny heard Ron whine before she entered the kitchen a week after arriving home. Their arguing had woken her.

"But nothing," her mother snapped setting a plate in front of her. She dug in, grabbing more bacon before Ron could eat it all.

Her mother sat across from her, "What do you want for dinner for your birthday?"

Ginny would turn seventeen in four days time. She had been keeping track of the days on the calendar. Crossing out each one, elated to be one day closer. She thought, swallowing a heap of bacon before saying, "Spaghetti's fine."

"Okay, and dear, I know it's your birthday week," her mum smiled, "but could you please degnome the garden?"

Before she could protest, her mum said, "Bill and Fleur will be here in two days, Charlie and the Grangers will be here tomorrow and George will come day of."

Ginny coughed, choking on her eggs. "Wrong pipe," she excused her reaction, finishing her food as fast as possible before heading outside to degnome.

Rain cascaded from the sky as Ginny sat on the edge of her bed, perusing through memories of Hermione in the bright Australian sun. She remembered what Hermione had said at the airport, "… sooner than you think." So she had known all along that she would be visiting for her birthday. It did seem curious that her parents were coming, could they possibly know? They hadn't specified when exactly they had returned from their trip.

Ginny halted the train of thought at once, remembering that the Grangers hadn't seen anyone since before the events of the past year. Of course they would just want to see everyone again now that it was over. Without a second thought, she stripped down and fell immediately asleep.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Ginny spotted Charlie crossing the field towards them from high up on her broomstick. "Oy!" She called over to Ron. They descended, jumping off their brooms near where Hermione sat, reading a heavy book.

"What's going on?" She asked, concerned.

"Charlie's here," Ginny said, following Ron towards the field. Hermione walked next to her, grabbing her hand for a moment. Ginny smiled and winked at her girlfriend.

"Charlie!" Ginny shouted, sprinting and jumping into his broad arms.

"Heyya sis," Charlie tousled her hair, which she was sure to fix quickly for Hermione and Ron approached them now. He punched Ron in the shoulder in greeting and turned towards Hermione, reaching out for a hug. "Hermione I had expected you'd be here, but where's Harry?" He asked innocently, looking around for the messy haired man.

"Harry's gone off to America," Ron explained, frowning, " I guess he needed space."

"Ah, well," Charlie sighed not missing the hurt in Ron's voice, "Man deserves whatever he needs, I think."

"Here here," Ginny shouted, leading them back to the burrow before Ron started crying.

Dinner was a lively affair. Charlie laughed boisterously and often, filling the place with a warm, joyful feeling. The food was delicious as ever, but still they sat even after Mrs. Weasley had cleared their plates. Both sets of parents excused themselves shortly after clearing their plates, leaving Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Charlie at the table. "Behave yourselves," Mrs. Weasley commanded, eyeing the group suspiciously before finally exiting the room.

They headed outside, summoning chairs around a burnt hole in the ground. Thick, purple flames erupted from Charlie's wand, igniting the pile of wood Ron had summoned with a small burst. Ginny counted the days until she could perform magic, plopping down in the chair Hermione had conjured for her. Hermione sat to her right, while Charlie sat to her left, and Ronald to his left. Charlie and Ron debated Quidditch, voices getting louder and more expressive. Ginny chimed in her two cents as often as she could as they continued to argue. Hermione stared into the flames, eyes becoming heavier with sleep.

Eventually the fire died down, Ron standing first to announce he was going to bed. The dark night hid Ginny's scowl as he looked disdainfully at a sleeping Hermione. She had turned over and fallen asleep a while ago, when conversation along with the fire had died down. Ginny stared into the red hot coals once again as Ron retreated back to the house.

She and Charlie had stared into the low flames together, until he turned towards her, "So how was your trip?"

"It was good- I went ziplining, and snorkeling, and I got a tattoo, and I took surfing lessons." Ginny answered fast, pleased that he had asked.

"Back up Gin," he put his hand on her arm, "You got a tattoo?"

"Yeah." She said, pulling down at her shirt.

His jaw dropped, then he frowned, "That's great Gin, but you know Mum'll have ya head right?"

Ginny laughed, causing Hermione to stir beside her.

Once still, Charlie pried some more, voice lower this time, "So you two are finished then? For good this time?"

It took her a moment to realize he had been referring to she and Harry, "Oh, yeah, that was over before it began if I'm being honest. Besides-" She stopped fast, regretting saying a bit too much. Ginny couldn't help it with Charlie, he had always been so easy to talk to- the least judgemental.

"Besides?" Charlie said, crossing his arms.

"Nothing," she said sharply, mistakenly looking him in the eye. The fire flickered, throwing their faces in and out of darkness. They stared at one another, Ginny determined to maintain composure. He turned away, dismissing the subject for now. Both stared at the fire once again, letting the minutes pass.

Hermione stirred again, this time crying out a soft, "No." in her sleep. Ginny instinctively turned towards her, concern written on her face. After a few minutes, Hermione was still again and Ginny turned back towards the fire.

Charlie leaned forward, hands on his knees, mouth agape once again.

"What?" Ginny said stupidly.

"No." Charlie groaned, dragging out the word, "No. Way." His eyebrows risked entering his hairline as he looked from his sister towards the sleeping Hermione.

Ginny knew it was no use, "Yes." She said quietly. Surprised that she was scared for his reaction, but only for a moment for he spoke again, "Well that's just fine." He placed a hand on her shoulder, "And of course I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks," she exhaled deeply, hugging him.

"Let's get her inside, yeah?" He bent and lifted an exhausted Hermione into his arms.

Once he had set her gently in her bed across the room from her own, she whispered another muttered thank you before closing the door behind him. For the first time ever, she turned the knob, the lock sliding loudly in the silent night.

Ginny tip toed towards Hermione, grabbing at her shoes before covering her with the blanket. "You're welcome," Ginny replied to Hermione's appreciative moan.

A whisper broke the silence, "Ginny?"

"Yeah?" She answered, waking immediately.

"Can I?" Hermione hesitated.

"Of course," Ginny threw open the blankets, sliding over towards the wall.

They fell asleep at once, fingers intertwined together.

For the first time in a long time, the pair had slept through the morning. Hermione awoke, panicked until realizing the Burrow was still quiet in the early morning. Regretfully, she exited from under the warm blankets into the cold morning air. The lock slid back into place and she set her wand down on the nightstand. She lay on her back in her own bed, staring at the ceiling and listening to Ginny's breathing from across the room.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

The sun shined high in the sky by the time Ginny and Hermione had stirred again. They entered the kitchen to see Mrs. Weasley preparing sandwiches, "There you two are! I was beginning to think you accidentally drank a sleeping potion." She set a plate stacked with sandwiches on the table in front of Ginny. Hermione made Ginny a cup of tea while brewing herself coffee.

"Thanks, mum," Ginny said, taking a sandwich.

"Where's everyone?" Ginny asked, surprised at the empty kitchen at mealtime.

"Oh, they took their lunch to the orchard," Mrs. Weasley was bewitching the broom and dustpan around the room very fast. "Bill and Fleur should be arriving soon," she looked up at her infamous clock.

Hermione clutched her cup of black coffee, ignoring the sandwiches. She just did not have the slightest bit of appetite. Sipping slowly at the bitter liquid, her stomach churned. Hermione knew she must talk to Ron today; she had not been blind to the way he had been looking at her since she had returned to the Burrow. Though admittedly, this had only taken priority because Hermione had also not been blind to the painful expression Ginny wore after these times. She did not feel guilty for being with Ginny, just the opposite in fact. Though Ronald did not need to know of the full extent of her unavailability, she had been determined to stop this googly eye nonsense.

Ginny caught her eye, "You OK?" she mouthed.

Hermione nodded.

After lunch, they joined the others in the orchard. Hermione had taken up her usual spot under a tree with a heavy book in her lap. Hidden by the shadows of the apple tree, Hermione made no attempt at hiding her gaze which followed Ginny as she flew through the air. She watched as she soared by, hair flowing graciously behind her. Hermione watched, completely enthralled at the focus on Ginny's face as well as the way her muscled arms shined with sweat in the sun. Maybe she could enjoy Quidditch after all.

It was after Hermione had completely lost herself in fantasy of herself and Ginny intertwined in abandoned corridors of Hogwarts that the sudden foot fall next to her snapped her back to reality. Ron stood there, smiling pleasantly, "Can I talk to you, Hermione?"

Ginny hovered high above the apple trees, something had called her attention just beyond the orchard. Four people stood, Ginny squinted, recognizing the bushy mane belonging to Hermione. She stood apart from Ron, her arms crossed and looking sour. The other two- it took Ginny a moment to realize for they had their backs to her- were Hermione's parents. That was when she heard her name being called behind her. Ginny turned and without even raising an arm to block it, the quaffle had collided directly with her face. The sick crunch that was her nose breaking made her lose balance. She slid sideways off her broom, air rushing around her as she fell. Ginny blacked out before hitting the apple strewn ground.

"I caught you just before you hit the ground." Charlie sat on Hermione's bed across from her hours later. Ginny reached for the cup of water next to the bed, her mouth dry. Moments later, Hermione burst through the door. Her eyes wide, Ginny thought she looked frightened, almost. Hermione shrank back into the corner of the room, her eyes pleading with Ginny. Ronald burst through the door then already shouting, "Some sister you are!"

"Excuse me?" Ginny said sarcastically, already rising to meet her brother in the middle of the room.

"You heard me, you're a lousy excuse for a sister that's what." Ginny could feel his breath on her face. Charlie inserted his thick frame between the two, who were now chest to chest, yelling obscenities at one another.

"Protego!" Hermione shouted from the corner of the room, the force of her spell knocking everyone off their feet. Ginny fell backwards unto her bed, while Charlie and Ron fell into a heap on Hermione's bed. The redness faded from her vision, and she looked to Hermione, who only shook her head, tears running full force down her face. She had been mouthing something, just as Ronald began shouting again, "How could you not tell me Hermione had a boyfriend?"

Dumbstruck, Ginny's mouth fell open, "What?"

Charlie had a hand on Ron's shoulder, for his face was growing redder with every word. "I told you I had been writing to her all summer, and you don't have the decency as my SISTER to tell me?"

Ginny stood, concentrating hard on not glancing in Hermione's direction. She leaned towards her brother, and said quietly, "It is none of your," she flicked his nose causing him to unsuccessfully lunge at her, Charlie still holding him back. She laughed and then became serious again, "None of your god damned business who Hermione dates," She turned to leave, looking straight into Hermione's eyes as she went, "… Or doesn't date." Ginny slammed the door behind her, walking directly out of the house.

Ginny had reached the path to the orchard just as two faints pops could be heard in the field beside her. She picked up the pace, sprinting now, not wanting to deal with her part vela sister in law. Her broom was exactly where Charlie had left it, in line with all the others in the small shed. Ginny was sure to knock Ron's to the ground while grabbing her own. She kicked off the ground, hovering above the trees, hesitant. Thoughts spiraling, Ginny was unsure of where to go. She could not leave, for she could not disillusion herself from muggle eyes. As furious as she felt, she desperately wished to speak to Hermione. She remembered just how devastated her girlfriend had looked. There had to be an explanation.

Hermione sat at the edge of Ginny's bed alone, for Charlie had dragged Ron from the room after Ginny's abrupt departure and Bill's untimely arrival. After locking the bedroom door, she threw her wand to the side, chest heaving. She lay back, staring up at the ceiling, memories of the last five minutes swirling. Ginny had been so angry, and to be honest, Hermione didn't blame her. Somehow, the conversation with Ron had derailed earlier. She had been so flustered, her parents standing right there, as she was breaking her best friend's heart.

He wouldn't take no for an answer, debating her at every point. Even after her parents had gone, Ron sank to his knees in the tall grass, grabbing at her hand and pleading, "But, Hermione, I love you."

She pulled her hand from his, lip quivering in anger, "But, I don't love you." Hermione said slowly, for the thirteenth time.

"But why?" Ron smiled irritatingly up at her.

Frustration washed over her, causing a small screech to escape her mouth before she shouted, "Because I love someone else!"

Three taps on the window brought her back to the present. Hermione took her time making her way to the impatient owl who tapped again at glass. Only after pulling back the curtains did she realize it wasn't an owl at all. Ginny hovered on her broomstick just outside the window and climbed through as soon as Hermione had opened it.

"Is there something wrong with the door?" Hermione questioned, avoiding her girlfriend's gaze.

Ginny chose to ignore her, answering her question with a question of her own, "Hermione, what the hell happened?"

Ginny's voice was level now, calmer than she had been earlier. For this reason, Hermione tilted her chin up, tears already threatening to spill over. She recounted her conversation with Ron, and to her relief Ginny didn't seem angry anymore. Sure she looked rather disappointed as she sat silent, arms crossed in the bed opposite hers.

After what could have been minutes, or hours, Ginny finally spoke, "Well, at least now he'll leave you alone. I swear I'll hex him next time he oogles at you."

Hermione exhaled and ran her fingers through her bushy, brown hair.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

"I have a bit of a headache." Hermione answered, laying back on her bed.

Ginny was at her side immediately, holding her hand with both of hers. "Can I do anything?"

"Two things," Hemione glanced over at her.

"Anything," Ginny said quickly.

"Could you tell your mum I have a headache and won't be coming down for dinner?" She asked, adding, "Could you bring me up a plate when you're finished?"

Charlie had sat purposefully between herself and Ronald. Ginny's nails bit into her palm as she made fists under the table. When she had explained Hermione's absence, Ron had scoffed and rolled his eyes. Mrs. Weasley clearly had not been in on the day's events, though it was hard to ignore the tension at the table.

She stood at the kitchen sink, washing the night's dishes. Charlie had walked up beside her and began drying them with magic. "Thanks," Ginny muttered, not looking over.

Charlie looked around the room pointedly, before saying under his breath, "You guys okay?"

"We will be," Ginny dried off her hands and lifted Hermione's tray off of the counter. She had appreciated his concern, but Ginny definitely was not ready to talk about the difficulties of her relationship with Charlie.

Hermione was sleeping when Ginny had returned to their bedroom. When she put a hand on her arm to wake her, Hermione grabbed for her, pulling her right into bed next to her. The steady breathing of the still sleeping Hermione curled into her side calmed her. Ginny fell asleep immediately; the tray of food lay abandoned on the bedside table.


End file.
